


Arcade

by kaitothegreat



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-23 14:30:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23713003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaitothegreat/pseuds/kaitothegreat
Summary: She is no fool, but love does make one blind.  Post Sun-Halo.A broken heart is all that's leftI'm still fixing all the cracksLost a couple of pieces whenI carried it, carried it, carried it home- Duncan Laurence, Arcade
Relationships: Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid & Nakamori Aoko, Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid/Nakamori Aoko
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57





	Arcade

"What? Kid was injured?"

Aoko nodded, stifling a yawn. The knock-out gas, or whatever Kid used on her a while ago was still in effect, and it made her a little hard to comprehend what was going on now, especially seeing the Chief Priest being taken away in handcuffs, and how they ended up at a shrine instead of the actual exhibition.

But Aoko remembered everything that happened before she passed out; remembered them just as clear as day.

Kid was injured.

And Kid looked like—

"He escaped looking fine though." Hakuba stroked his chin before looking at Aoko with mixed worry and reservation. "But besides his injury, is there anything else you noticed?"

Leaning against Hakuba's car, Aoko wrapped her arms around her chest.

"I…"

A buzz came from her pocket and she fished out her phone. She didn't realize she had a couple of missed calls, but the vibration came from the latest text notification from Kaito.

_I was stuck in the toilet coz of constipation and when i returned i was told to go back becoz Kid came early? R u okay? I don't see u back home yet._

Her frown must be concerning as Hakuba tentatively asked, "Is everything alright?"

Aoko opened the message.

_I'm not okay._

Tapping sent, she switched off her phone and kept it inside her pocket.

"I didn't notice anything," she said, bringing their conversation back to where it was.

Hakuba opened his mouth and looked like he wanted to comment at length on the whole affair but didn't know where to begin. Finally, he gestured to his car. "Do you want a ride home? I doubt your father will be done anytime soon."

Aoko knew Hakuba was right; her dad was still busy sweeping evidence in the shrine and they didn't look anywhere close to done. But she rejected Hakuba's offer, and again when he tried convincing her the second time. She wanted to be alone, and that included away from her father. So after watching Hakuba drive away and out of sight, she quietly left on her own too.

.o.

The shrine was secluded, but luckily still accessible via public transport. The long bus ride to the closest metro station was enough to shrug off all the drowsiness she felt from Kid's drug, but her wish to be alone didn't last, as seeing when she got off from the bus, there was Kaito, standing at the bus stop with crossed arms.

And for as long as Aoko remembered about her childhood friend, this was the grimmest expression he ever wore.

The bus drove away.

"Why did you switch off your phone?" Kaito muttered.

"I…" Aoko looked away. "I wanted to be alone."

"But still, you shouldn't have switched off your phone," Kaito said, lowering his voice. "Especially after that last text too."

_"Sorry, Aoko."_

The last thing she needed was Kid's words to echo in her mind right now. But their voices, and way they were lowered… why was everything trying to remind her of their similarity?

No. Not entirely so. Yes. Their tones were a little different. They were—

"Aoko?"

Her blank stare dissolved in a blink, and she glanced up, registering Kaito had closed their distance and now they were barely a feet apart.

He lightly tapped one of Aoko's elbows. "Are you—"

"How do you know I'm here?"

The question made Kaito cringe, looking disgusted at whatever he was about to say: "I called Hakuba." He sighed and ran a hand past his hair. "Then I checked the routes you'll take to go home and rushed here."

 _Rushed here…?_ Aoko's eyes fell onto Kaito's shirt, and then to his abdomen. She couldn't see anything through the cloth, but she could tell he had run in the rain; the rain that had poured near Ekoda district, which Hakuba mentioned when he tried to convince her to let him send her home the second time.

A hiss came from the road, sending them glancing at the bus that pulled over to their stop. As they silently watched a few passengers alight, it gave Aoko a thought about how long Kaito had been waiting. And when he saw a bus arrive like this and it wasn't her that alighted, did he feel frustrated? Anxious?

Aoko suddenly felt so selfish.

After the last passenger dropped off, the bus drove away.

She took out her phone and switched it back on.

"I'm okay," Aoko finally said.

Kaito made a face. "You're obviously not okay."

"I'm okay now."

When her phone turned fully back to life, a hoard of messages came in, insanely vibrating her phone. They were all missed calls and texts from Kaito, except for one from Hakuba, which was to inform her that he'd told Kaito about her possible whereabouts.

Kaito rubbed his nose as he stared warily at Aoko's phone screen. "I must seemed like a stalker."

"…I'm sorry."

"Yeah— Wait what?" Kaito blinked. He leaned towards Aoko's face and she turned away, but Kaito caught on perfectly. "Why are you crying too?"

"I don't know." Aoko suppressed a pathetic hiccup and sniffed hard. "I'm just… sorry."

"Sorry about?" Kaito scratched his head. "My constipation? Or that I missed Kid's glorious entrance?"

Aoko sent Kaito a glare.

"If you're sorry for making me worry, then you're forgiven." Kaito grinned, but it faltered. "And I'm sorry, too. For not being there when you needed me."

Rubbing a tear away, Aoko scoffed. "Why would I need you?"

"Obviously because I'm better than Hakuba's presence. And it's stupid of him to not send you home."

"I told him I didn't want him to."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He gestured his head towards the metro station across the street. "Let's go."

Aoko nodded.

Throughout their conversations back home, Kaito didn't ask about Kid and neither did Aoko mention him, which was perfectly fine, anyway; having lived for 17 years, she was sick of Kaitou Kid taking up every part of her life, but thanks to Kaito and their train ride, she found herself reliving lost memories that only the two of them existed in.

It didn't make her forget the things that happened earlier, but it did make her happy, even if it lasted only for a short, little while.

.o.

Aoko was dead beat when she reached home, so not bothering to check anything else, she went straight to bed after a quick shower. That was why when she spotted a note on her desk the moment she woke up, she wasn't sure when it had been there. Was it last night before she returned? Or after? Or was it placed here just this morning?

But no matter what the answer was, she didn't like knowing Kid had entered her room at all.

_I'm sorry for what happened, but I want to thank you for your help._

_\- Kaitou Kid_

She creased the corners of the note, fighting the urge to crush it in frustration.

It was unfair, and a little insane, that these words were the exact things she wanted to tell Kid as well.

_Slipped. Shattered glass. Blood._

Slotting the note between the last two pages of her diary, she began her new day.

.o.

The first thing Aoko did when her personalised helmet arrived in her mail was bringing it over to Kaito's house.

She was surprised to find herself ringing his bell without any hesitation, as if she hadn't been over-worrying for the past three days, wondering if things would be the same. But it seemed things were back to normal, or rather nothing actually changed.

The door opened, revealing Kaito with a huge yawn — his usual greeting whenever she came over to _disturb_ his so-called _morning_.

"What the hell, Aoko? It's the holidays and you're _so_ early."

"Early? It's already 12 in the afternoon! All the malls and zoos and parks are already opened."

Kaito blinked, looking just about 20% more awake. "And what about it? Are you asking me out on a date?"

"No! You were the one who said you'd bring me out!" Aoko showed the helmet she had hidden behind her back. "And that's why I'm here with the helmet I bought."

Kaito grinned. "You should have called first though," he said, rubbing a hand under his shirt as he turned away. Unbeknownst to the pervert himself, Kaito's stomach was exposed, just a little, and Aoko flinched as her eyes unconsciously darted to her biggest fear.

The fear of shattering the trust she tried to rebuild for the past three days.

It seemed something did change after all.

At least for her.

But before Aoko could see anything else besides his stupid belly button, Kaito's back already faced her as he went back into the house.

No bandage. No blood. No scar.

Aoko wondered.

Kaito reappeared a while later, with even messier hair but wearing new set of clothes.

"Where do you want to go?" Kaito twirled his keys and put on his shoes.

"Anywhere."

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you had a plan."

"I thought you had _the_ plan."

"I would choose a skiing resort but obviously it's not possible." Kaito sighed. "Why doesn't Ekoda have any ice mountain or something?"

"Because mother nature forbids." Aoko stuck out her tongue. "But you know what? You gave me an inspiration; I think ice-skating sounds pretty nice—"

"Oh how wonderful, Ahouko. You gave me an inspiration too. Why don't we try that _indoor_ ski slope that recently opened at—"

"Let's just go to the zoo."

"…Good idea."

Wearing their helmets, Kaito busied starting his bike while Aoko contemplated where to put her hands behind him. By her seat? Or should she cross her arms? Wherever it was, her hands weren't going anywhere near Kaito's waist.

The simple thought of it instantly brought back memories of Kid panting on the ground, with blood on his crisp white suit and—

"Are you ready or not?"

Aoko jolted. "W-What?"

Before she realized what happened, Kaito tugged onto her arms and wrapped them around his waist.

"There."

Aoko's entire body was burning right now.

But apparently it wasn't the end. Kaito sighed irritably. "Oi, Ahouko, what's with the weak grip too?"

Her fingers twitched helplessly around his stomach. "Um…"

"I won't sue you for molesting me, if that's what you're worrying."

Aoko knocked her helmeted head forward, hitting Kaito's back. "Nobody on this planet wants to molest you."

"You wouldn't know." Kaito slapped his visor down, but it wasn't enough to mask the smile in his eyes. "But on the serious note, do hold tight. I don't want to lose you along the way."

Now Aoko badly wished she had opted for a visor on her helmet too, just to refrain Kaito from seeing her blush. Only he was capable, Aoko decided, to annoy and embarrass her with his stupid words in the span of two seconds.

"Let's go already," Aoko spat, but she did what Kaito said and wrapped her arms around his waist, tight.

Not that she was trying to find anything, but she couldn't feel anything bulging under his shirt.

Aoko bit her lip.

"I guess Kaito… you're Kaito after all."

Kaito had already started his bike, and the wheezing sound drowned Aoko's words to none. "What? Did you say something?"

"Nothing," she said, laying her head on Kaito's broad back and unable to hide her smile.

Together, they made their way to the zoo.

.o.

Despite seeing it on the news countless of times, Aoko still wasn't familiar to the chaos. All the pushing, the Kid's banners, the cheers and shouts… she wished she had a remote to tone them all down.

But Aoko shouldn't be complaining. She wasn't here to deliver her dad his bento. She wasn't here because Kaito pestered her about it. She was here alone, and she was here because she wanted to.

Aoko checked the time on her phone. There was still half an hour before the promised heist began. It wasn't like she was in a good spot, so it was fine to leave her place before coming back and suffocate with everyone else in the tiny museum hall that the owner had opened to public.

Excusing herself as she pushed her way through the thick crowd, she left for another room, and the sudden change of air almost made her giddy—

A grip on her elbow.

Steadying her feet.

"Careful, Nakamori-san."

Aoko spun around, her face inches away from the patrolling guard that saved her from her dizzy spell. But her reddening face wasn't all because of her embarrassment of her near-fall.

"Are you—" Aoko stepped away, her eyes wide in horror. "Are you Kaitou Kid?"

If his honeyed, charming voice hadn't confirmed her guess, his wink surely did it. "Can't have you falling in all my heists. You ought to be careful."

"You!" Aoko snapped. She glanced at the crowd, who all had their attention on the prized jewel. Not a single soul minded their existences. "How long have you been spying on me?"

"Spying?" Kid placed a hand theatrically on his chest. "I only saved you from your demise, no?"

She wouldn't call it a demise, comparing this little fall to the one that could end with several stitches on her… stomach. The memory caused her fingers to twitch, and the rising guilt ate away all the anger she felt towards Kid's sudden presence.

"Very thoughtful of you," Aoko said lamely in reply.

"Why are you here?" Kid crossed his arms, looking relaxed and totally not like he was about to commit a crime in twenty minutes.

"Why can't I?"

Seeming to have no answer to the question, Kid glanced around. "I don't see your boyfriend anywhere."

Aoko nearly choked. "M-My what?"

"Boyfriend."

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh? Kuroba Kaito isn't your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend! And why are you asking that? It's none of your business."

"Of course it's my business. I disguised as anyone, remember?" Kid tapped a finger on his temple. "If he's not your boyfriend, I'll have to make sure I don't act like one if I disguised him again."

"Don't you dare," Aoko hissed.

"I can't promise that."

"Right. Thieves can't promise anything; they are liars by nature."

A smile appeared on one side of Kid's face but not the other. He suddenly looked tired, or he _was_ tired, but everything Aoko thought seemed like a hallucination when he took his guard hat off and dumped it over her head.

"Not to mention, thieves are also quite stealth in nature too."

"What—"

By the time Aoko pulled the hat off her head, Kid was gone.

.o.

Aoko didn't wait around to witness Kid's victory (it was obvious how it was going to end anyway) and existed the museum.

She texted Kaito on her way back home.

_What are you doing?_

She didn't receive a reply until she finished blow-drying her hair after a shower.

_i'm at Jii-chan's bar. Wassup?_

There was nothing for her to say, so she sent a series of her favourite emojis and stared out of her bedroom window.

She almost thought she saw a glimpse of white in the sky.

.o.

"I'm so stupid."

"It's not your fault." Keiko patted Sayaka's arm across the table. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's all that scum—"

"But I should have seen the signs." Sayaka lowered her head. "I'm _so_ stupid."

In sync, Aoko and Keiko glanced at each other before looking back at Sayaka as she drowned the air with her sobs again. Aoko had already used up her last packet of tissue and Emi just left their booth to ask the cafe's staff for more napkins, so all they could do now was to stare at Sayaka smearing her face with more snots and tears.

Two hours ago, the four of them were on their way to the cinema to watch a movie, but rather than fictional drama, what they got was a live-action, starring Sayaka, her ex-boyfriend and another girl. And after a long round of fighting and screaming, they spent the next hour at the cafe a few blocks away from the cinema, with four empty milkshake glasses, two half-eaten cakes, and tons and tons of tissues that still weren't enough to dry Sayaka's eyes.

Most of the time it was Emi and Keiko that did the coaxing while Aoko quietly supplied Sayaka all of her tissues. Aoko wasn't great with her words, and she had never been in a relationship to know anything about cheating or broken heart, but despite it all, something familiar in her tugged, as though she understood what Sayaka felt.

And coupled with that annoying, painful twist in her chest were images of Kaito appearing in her mind (the irony when she was ignoring him since afternoon).

Nothing made sense.

"I think love is blind," Aoko blurted.

Keiko turned and stared at her. Even Sayaka stopped crying and looked up with her swollen eyes.

Aoko's face began to burn. "Um, I mean—"

"Yeah." Emi reappeared, scooting into the booth next to Sayaka and dumped a stack of napkins on the table. "Aoko is right. Love _is_ blind, that's why you were fooled by that asshole."

"Exactly," Keiko chimed in as well. "You trusted that scum because you loved him, but he misused your love and trust for that— Ugh. You know what I mean."

The coaxing continued, but the difference was after Aoko's three surprising words, Sayaka barely needed the napkins to cool herself. Gradually, the atmosphere turned better, and Sayaka willed herself to finish the cakes as the rest of them cheered, celebrating the end of her relationship with that scum and also a start to a new vow:

_"Don't let love fool the logic out of you."_

.o.

"Seriously?" Straightening in his seat opposite Aoko, Kaito swallowed a mouthful of rice. "Natsuo cheated?"

Aoko nodded.

Natsuo, while being the stupid jerk that hurt Sayaka, was also one of the smartest students in their cohort. So even if Kaito was pretty indifferent about most people in school, Natsuo was popular enough for Kaito to know he existed.

"Huh… I didn't know he had it in him."

Aoko rolled her eyes. "That's a bit rich coming from you."

" _What_ do you mean by that?" Kaito scowled, taking a piece of shrimp tempura from the main plate and placed it atop of Aoko's rice. "You can call me a pervert but I'm not a cheater."

/ _what about a liar?_ /

"Ok, pervert."

"Are you still angry about this afternoon?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm not sure, why don't you tell me?" Kaito gestured at the dining table. "If the person shows up at your house and cooks an entire village for you, does it mean she's still angry at you or not?"

"Cooking for an idiot and being angry at the same idiot are _not_ mutually exclusive things."

"Point taken." Kaito dug into his meal, not before taking another shrimp tempura and putting it atop of Aoko's rice again. "How's Sayaka though?"

"She's okay." Aoko hesitated. "Well, I hope she still is after reaching home… Maybe I'm going to visit her tomorrow."

"Aw, and I was looking forward to your pancakes." Kaito sighed (which was ironic, because whenever Aoko woke him up on a Saturday morning for breakfast, he was no where as appreciative as he was now towards her pancakes). "But if you need some help to cheer her up, I can teach you a trick or two."

Aoko narrowed her eyes. "Does it involve flipping up anyone's skirt?"

"I see that you're not going to let that afternoon matter go."

"Of course not— Hey, why are you dumping all the shrimps on me?"

Kaito blinked innocently. "Isn't it your favourite?"

His abrupt appreciation introduced a weird tingling in her chest, but whatever feelings Aoko had for him dissipated, leaving only with annoyance as she watched him effortlessly balanced the third shrimp on her rice.

"Are you trying to make me fat?"

"Do I need to try?" Kaito chuckled, picking another shrimp from the plate. "Aren't you already—"

Aoko gave Kaito a kick under the table. He jolted with a painful yelp, and the shrimp slipped away from his chopsticks as it flew in the air... until it landed right on the stack of shrimps on Aoko's rice.

Kaito laughed even louder. "It's meant to be!"

"Bakaito!"

.o.

It wasn't often that Aoko attended Kid's heist.

She only went when it was accessible to the public, like this one, where the gem Kid promised to steal was from a statue situated in the heart of Tokyo's biggest park. This was also Aoko's fifth heist in which she attended alone, but for all the past three times, she always kept her distance like her first visit, though that was the only time Kid ever came to talk to her in his disguise. She considered it the last time she would ever talk to him, but more often than not, life is filled with plenty of surprises.

Rather than a guard, Kid was disguised as one of the passers-by instead.

"Good evening, Nakamori-san."

Aoko turned, eyes widened. Her gasp died in her throat as she stepped back, tripping on her own feet—

Kid, swift in nature too, grabbed Aoko's arm, steadying her balance before she hit the lamp post behind her.

"I really appreciate if you stop falling whenever you're around me, Nakamori-san."

"And I appreciate if you keep your distance away from me." Aoko extended the selfie-stick she whipped out from her bag, poking Kid's chest as he stepped away.

"…A selfie-stick again."

Smug, Aoko retracted the stick to its original length. "It's very useful."

"Thank you for your suggestion. I'll take note."

"It wasn't a suggestion."

Kid smiled. "I see you've been dropping in quite often."

So even when Kid didn't approach her, he noticed? Aoko quickly fought back a reply. "The heist is hosted in public. Everyone is allowed to come."

"I didn't say you can't—" Then Kid looked blank, his lips pursed for a moment. He looked as if he regretted saying what he said, but at the next second when an impudent smirk spread across his cheeks, Aoko wondered why she even thought Kid had _any_ emotional capacity to feel regretful, ever.

"Of course everyone is allowed to come." Kid gestured a hand at the crowd around them. "But don't you have school work to do?"

"I handle it fine."

"As the daughter of an Inspector, I'm sure you will."

Aoko scowled, extending her selfie-stick again. "What do you want from me?"

"No need to be physical, Nakamori-san." Kid took a step back. "I just want to come over to greet you, given your courteous visits for my sake."

Embarrassment took over her, and she blurted, "I'm not here to visit you."

Kid paused, then nodded. "Of course, you're here for your father, isn't it?"

Aoko found no reason to correct Kid, but that wasn't the answer either. Always after Aoko delivered her dad's bento, she would leave; she was _never_ interested in attending any of Kid's heists, even if her father was there during rain or shine or sick. The last time she visited for a reason was because Kid wanted to steal the clock tower, the root of her chanced meeting with Kaito.

Kaito.

For the first time since he appeared, Aoko _looked_ at Kid.

His disguise gave her nothing insightful, but his height, the broadness of his shoulders…

"It's nice talking to you, Nakamori-san, but it seems that I have to go." Kid glanced at his watch and gave a teasing two-finger salute. "See you next time."

"W-Wait! You—"

Aoko raised her selfie-stick, but her strike only landed in a puff of smoke.

He was gone.

.o.

It was common to see Kaito going head to head with Hakuba, but most of their banters were light and flippant, nothing serious like they seemed to be now; their faces mirrored with furrowed brows and scowls as they sat opposite each other at the corner of the sports hall. Aoko was trying to stay focus on her badminton game with a couple of her classmates during their P.E. period, but even from where she was, she couldn't shrug off the tension she felt in the air, and something told her it wasn't one of those little arguments they had.

Apologising to her classmates over the net, Aoko left the match mid-way and jogged over to where they were. Kaito was balancing the shuttlecock on the tip of his finger when he noticed Aoko approaching, and he tossed it to Hakuba's face, interrupting whatever the detective was about to say.

Hakuba turned, acknowledging Aoko with a smile. "Aoko-san."

"Is everything okay?" Aoko glanced at Kaito. "Were you two arguing?"

"We are _always_ arguing." Kaito picked up the shuttlecock and aimed it at Hakuba's face again, but Hakuba caught it with a hand and put it out of Kaito's reach. "I was complaining how Hakuba's feet stink—"

"We were talking about the recent crises at Kid's heists," Hakuba said.

Kaito scowled.

Aoko tightened the grip of her racket.

How could she not have guessed it was about Kid?

"Did you not hear from your father?" Hakuba continued.

Aoko nodded, then shook her head. "I don't know, but my dad did tell me not to send him bento anymore." She kneeled beside Hakuba and set her racket on the floor. "Did something bad happen?"

"Since your dad didn't want to tell you anything, then you should just leave it be."

Kaito's voice was prickly like fresh ice, that even turning to look at him felt hard to do. Aoko opened her mouth, trying to find words to retort, but none came. It wasn't that she had nothing to say, but she couldn't, with how hurt had filled her lungs like thick, black smoke.

Hakuba's brows were back to its original, unapproved state. "Given how Aoko-san is also part of KID Capture Brigade, I think she has the rights to know," he said in defence.

Kaito looked away.

Taking the silence as an opportunity, Hakuba explained, "Recently, there's been a group of intruders firing gun shots at—"

"What!"

"—Kid's heists. No one was harmed, but they're not caught either, which is troubling since it's recurring for a while."

"This is bad…" Aoko wrapped her arms over her chest. "Who are these _people_?"

"We don't know." Hakuba cast Kaito a withering glance.

"Don't worry about your dad." Kaito waved a hand nonchalantly in the air. "Those guys aren't after the police. They're after Kid."

"And how are you so sure?" Aoko argued.

For the first time, Kaito looked dumbfounded to say anything. He then picked up Aoko's racket and pointed at Hakuba. "He told me that."

Hakuba mildly shook his head and returned his attention to Aoko. "But yes, Kuroba-kun is right. I think those people are targeting Kid so you don't have to worry about it."

Aoko lowered her gaze to her hands. Her father was one thing, but would it be wrong to admit she was worried about Kid too? She wanted him behind bars, not dead.

And who on earth were those people that were hell bent on taking Kid's life?

"What's with that look, Ahouko." Kaito snorted. "Do you actually care about Kaitou Kid or something?"

Aoko sent Kaito a glare. "You don't know anything."

"Then what should I know?"

"Nothing of your concern." She snatched her racket back and stood up, turning away to only face Hakuba. "I'll see you later, Hakuba-kun."

With that, Aoko stomped off.

.o.

This time, Aoko decided that cooking for an idiot and being angry at the same idiot _were_ mutually exclusive things. Even if she knew Kaito would rather starve than cook himself because he was lazy like that, she swore to not make a single budge towards Kaito's house. That was all she could do to retain the remaining dignity she had after their last conversation.

Aoko only cooked dinner for one; her father would be home late as per usual, but she did talk to him on the phone, admitting she knew about what Hakuba had explained to her. And like what Aoko guessed, her dad said he didn't want her to know because he didn't want to worry her.

Of course.

Which was why for the entire night, she couldn't understand why Kaito seemed reluctant to let her know about those bad guys' existences. He didn't have any reason to hide it at all.

Aoko sighed, for the thousand times that night, and decided to put everything aside and start on her school work, hoping it could keep her distracted. In her bedroom, she picked up her diary from her desk. She wanted to check on her deadlines, but a note slipped out while she was flipping through it, reigning her back to the thoughts she wanted to escape from.

_Slipped. Shattered glass. Blood._

Aoko caught the note before it landed on the ground.

_"Do you actually care about Kaitou Kid or something?"_

Aoko squeezed her eyes shut. Care? About Kaitou Kid? There was a fine line between being worried and caring about someone, and Aoko didn't intend to cross that line. Kid was a criminal! How could she… how could she ever care for a criminal?

_"You don't know anything."_

_"Then what should I know?"_

What could she tell Kaito?

A tapping sound interrupted Aoko's thought, surprisingly her the same. She thought she was imagining it until she saw a dove standing on her balcony, and it pecked its tiny beak against the glass again.

Aoko slotted Kid's note back into her diary and approached her balcony. Once she pushed open the window, the dove immediately flew to her shoulder.

It seemed impossible to anyone at first, but after so long, she'd managed to differentiate a couple of Kaito's doves. "Rusty?" Aoko smiled and stroked its head. It cooed in response, and hopped on her shoulder, sending her attention to its leg.

Aoko gently plucked the tied note and unrolled it.

_can we meet for a while? im waiting by your gate._

Done with its task, Rusty flew out of Aoko's balcony, but it dived down after its short flight. Aoko's eyes followed its wings, and there she saw, as promised in his note, was Kaito standing by her gate, hand raised as Rusty landed on it.

He grinned when their eyes met.

Out of spite, Aoko took her sweet time before arriving to the gates.

"Are you trying to be old-fashioned?" Aoko muttered as she closed the gates behind her. "Sending the note via your dove…"

"I figured you might ignore my text, but no one can ignore Rusty." Kaito patted Rusty's wings, smiling. "And I'm right."

Yes, Kaito was right. Aoko rolled your eyes. "And why would I ignore your text?" she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Because you're angry."

"Why did you think that?"

Kaito tilted his head. "Aren't you angry?"

"Of course I am!" Aoko exclaimed. "I didn't think you'd notice."

"I'll be blind if I didn't."

Aoko crossed her arms. "So you're here to apologise?"

"No."

"Then goodbye," Aoko fumed and turned to her gates again.

Kaito grabbed her arm, stopping her track. "Can you just listen for a second?"

" _What_ is there to listen?"

Rusty fluttered its wings and Kaito immediately patted its head to calm it down. "Keep your volume down, Ahoko. You're scaring Rusty."

"Sorry," Aoko mumbled, but when she spotted Kaito's grin, she glared. "I was apologising to Rusty."

"I know," he said, before lifting his arm to send Rusty flying towards the direction of his house.

"Ok. I'm giving you five minutes to say what you want to say."

Kaito's grin wavered. He looked like he expected doing more to convince her to listen, and when she gave him what he wanted, he wasn't prepared for it.

Was she such a difficult person to Kaito?

The thought made Aoko a little sad.

"Have you been to any of Kid's heists by yourself?" Kaito asked.

Aoko's head shot up. _How did he…?_ "Why did you ask that?"

"You shouldn't go anymore."

"But I've already stopped going—" Aoko glanced away, realising her unintended admission.

Kaito looked neither angry or… He didn't seem to be feeling _anything_ , seeing his perfect poker-face. But the small crack in his voice was Aoko's only thread to know Kaito was feeling more emotions than he was willing to show:

"I understand that you'll be worried for your dad, but I promise you he'll be fine."

 _Promise…_ It was one of the last conversations she had with Kid, and the memory felt so close yet distant at the same time.

Aoko lowered her gaze. "That's a very big promise to make, Kaito."

"I know."

"And why are you promising me this anyway?" She shook her head, confused. "How are _you_ going to keep my dad safe?"

Kaito looked hesitant. "I, um, trust Hakuba he'll keep your dad safe."

Aoko nearly choked. "Wait, what? Did you just say you trust Hakuba-kun?" Aoko laughed. "Imagine him hearing you say that."

Kaito closed his eyes in a long-suffering manner. "Just— You know what I mean, Ahouko."

Aoko's smile faltered. "How did you know I'd been to Kid's heists by myself?"

He shrugged. "I guessed it."

 _I guessed it,_ what a simple answer to brush off Aoko's piling confusion. But there was nothing else she could say to pry Kaito for a more detailed answer; she had witnessed how Kaito's sixth sense worked, and there was no reason to doubt that.

There was no reason.

Aoko sighed. "Have you eaten?"

Kaito looked surprised at the change of conversation, but he easily accepted it with a grin that wiped his expression to a smug. "No."

"You look excessively proud to have not eaten."

"I was hoping you'll ask."

"Can't trust you to cook yourself a decent meal for a night?" Aoko drawled.

He gave a helpless shrug. "You should never trust me for anything."

Aoko was too busy caring about what to fill Kaito's stupid stomach that it didn't occur to her, until much much later, about the many possibilities of what his words could mean.

.o.

_"Aoko! Did you see the news?"_

"What news?"

_"It's hard to explain, I think it's better for you to see it yourself."_

Aoko was hoping to take a bath after cleaning the dishes for her own dinner (Kaito said he couldn't make it for tonight's), but she never heard Keiko sounding so frantic before. Agreeing for Keiko's sake, she sat on her couch and switched on the TV.

The first thing it showed when it came to life was Kid's glider flying in the night sky.

Aoko sighed. "What news is this? Another of Kid's victory?"

 _"No! Just continue watching."_ Keiko urged.

The camera shifted to a reporter and a citizen standing before the museum that Kid flew away from.

_"Can you tell us more about what you've heard while you were outside the museum?"_

The citizen grabbed the microphone from the reporter. _"Gun shots! I definitely heard gun shots!"_

_"Are you very sure about it?"_

_"Yes! For realz man! It's so loud!"_

No.

_Oh no._

"Keiko, I need to go." Aoko switched off the TV. Contributed by that citizen's loud voice, Aoko's head was about to split from worry. "I want to call my dad.'

_"Yeah, I think you should."_

Aoko did just that after she hung up.

The phone had grown hot next to her ears while she tried to get her line through, but finally, with some miracle, her call was finally picked up after a thousand of tries.

"Dad!" Aoko exclaimed.

_"Sorry, Aoko. The heist was a mess and there's lots of investigation going around here. This is the only time I have to spare to pick the call."_

"It's okay, as long as I know you're alright," Aoko said. She never thought she would miss hearing her father's voice this much. "What happened at the heist? They said there were gunshots!"

_"Remember the shooting incidents I mentioned? It happened again."_

"Oh no, no…" The worst of Aoko's fear confirmed. She gripped onto her phone, knuckles turned white. "Are you okay? Is everyone okay?"

 _"There are some casualties, but not any big ones."_ A pause. _"I know I shouldn't be telling you this, not until the FBI and the Chief decided—_

"FBI?"

_"—what they want the media to know, but yes, those bad guys that were causing those shootings were captured."_

Relief washed over her like waves. "So is everything okay now?"

_"Yes. Though Kid's remains uncaptured, as per usual."_

Aoko straightened. Right, and there was still Kaitou Kid…

 _"You should be grateful to Kid, sir."_ A muffled voice said in the background. _"He saved you after all."_

"WHAT?! Who said that? What does he mean? Are you okay?"

Her dad clicked his tongue. _"That was one of my subordinates,"_ he muttered. _"And I'm fine. I only got a bruise on the knee for being shoved away by Kid."_

"Sh-Shove away?"

_"He got me out of the firing zone."_

Amidst the rest of her dad's brief explanation, an echo of a voice rang loudly at the back of Aoko's head.

Words of a promise.

_"Anyway, Aoko I have to go; another officer wants to take my statement. I'll see you later, okay?"_

She agreed, and quickly added a goodbye before her father hung up the call.

Aoko continued sitting on the couch, eyes staring at her blank TV screen for the next fifteen minutes, though her mind was no where near as silent as her living room.

_"That's a very big promise to make, Kaito."_

_"I know."_

Now that Aoko think about it, she didn't like the weight of his answer; his quiet voice carrying the job of such a heavy responsibility—

But it wasn't his responsibility anyway.

Was it?

Aoko turned to her window, facing the perfect view of Kaito's pitch-black house.

She grabbed for her phone and headed for the door. On the way, she called Kaito.

Her calls made through, and Aoko preferred that than going straight to the voicemail, which happened occasionally when she tried to contact Kaito. Listening to the dial tune, at least she could carry some hope that it would eventually be picked up.

His gates was never closed, and she slipped through it and stood before his front door.

She thought it was her imagination at first, but when she leaned against the door, she could hear his phone ringing faintly on the other side.

"Kaito?" Aoko knocked on the door.

The phone remained ringing.

Cutting the call, Aoko pulled out her set of keys, and one of them belonged to Kaito's house, which his mom gave it to him a long time ago. She never used it before, and she wished she never had to; she would rather have Kaito open the door, with his face bearing that stupid yawn when he did.

She missed that.

Hands shaking, Aoko unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Everything inside was too dark for her taste.

"Kaito?"

Quiet.

Smell of metal.

Fear gripped her as she patted the wall for the switch by heart, and when the lights flickered, Aoko screamed.

Red pool.

Blood.

Kaito.

"No… No! Kaito!" Aoko slid across the living room floor and cradled Kaito's head onto her lap. He was wearing a black shirt, but the blood on his stomach made the colour turned even darker than possible. Why was he bleeding? Did he get shot? The heist? Kid? Kaito? No, no, no—

"The hospital. I need to call the hospital," Aoko said, more for herself to keep brain working. Her bloodied hands frantically reached for her pockets.

"Ao…ko…"

Aoko froze before snapping her gaze down. Kaito was stirring on her lap, but his eyes remained close, his face as pale as sheet.

"Not… hospital," Kaito gasped, trying to reach for Aoko's phone. "Graze… can't explain… police…"

"Your life is what that matters now!" Aoko dialled for the emergency hotline.

The receiver picked Aoko's call by the first ring, but by the time she finished the call, it was as far as her calm facade could hold.

"You're going to be okay, Kaito," Aoko said, her tears fogging up her sight even when she kept blinking them away. "You're going to be okay. Okay. You're going to be."

Battling between keeping his eyes open and close, Kaito mumbled, "Don't… cry… Aoko."

"I'm not crying," she lied.

Kaito didn't respond.

Thankfully, the paramedics arrived before Aoko turned beyond hysterical to hearing only her voice echoing back in Kaito's house. She watched as the paramedics carry Kaito onto the stretcher and load him into the ambulance, but she wasn't allowed to ride on it, given the lack of space. She was reluctant to leave Kaito's side, but agreed, just as long as he could reach the hospital as fast as possible.

With her bloodied hands, she made another call.

_"Aoko-san?"_

"Hakuba-kun."

 _"Is everything okay? I can hear an ambulance."_ A pause. _"Where are you? Is Kuroba-kun with you?"_

Aoko parted her lips, wanting to explain at length about everything that happened. She needed Hakuba's help too, which was why she called him in the first place.

But as she watched the ambulance drove away, all she could do was burst into tears again.

.o.

Aoko had seen Kaito slept multiple times in between classes, but this was the first time she saw him looking so peaceful, as if all those time he dozed off were just a facade — on guard, a pretence, never real.

And this was also the first time she saw him look so vulnerable too.

Aoko cupped her mouth, choking back a sob.

 _I should have seen the signs,_ Aoko thought wearily.

No. Even when the facts were clear as day, she trusted her heart more than her mind, and it was herself she'd been fooling the entire time.

 _"Love is blind."_ These were the words she said herself.

She already knew it then.

Aoko received a text from her dad, saying he wasn't going to go back home for the night. It was fine, anyway, because she wasn't going to either. She replied him back, acknowledging the text, and watched Kaito sleep until she did as well.

Night passed and morning came; it could be the sound of activities from outside Kaito's ward or the sun glare from the window beside Kaito's bed that woke her, but she was thankful for whatever it was, because at least she woke up minutes before Kaito did.

Kaito stirred, his fingers twitching before his eyelids finally fluttered open. He slowly glanced around, until he saw Aoko sitting beside his bed, and then he froze like a deer in the headlights.

"Aoko," he said, his tone wary like he wasn't sure if this was a dream or reality.

"You're in the hospital," Aoko said, knowing the question had been hanging in the air for a while. She stood up from her chair and pressed the button above his bed, elevating his upper body for his comfort.

Kaito glanced at his wrist and flickered his gaze past her shoulder and to the door.

"You're not handcuffed and there's no police outside; I'm the only one here," Aoko explained his silent questions again. It was ironic how she seemed to understand what Kaito was thinking at this moment when she had always been trying to for the last decade of her life.

Kaito's shoulders visibly relaxed, but his face was still masked with confusion. "My wound…?"

"The doctor did question the source of the bullet graze, but using his father's name, Hakuba posed as the detective in charge of your case."

"You called Hakuba?"

Aoko nodded. "He was the best person I could think of to ask for the favour and luckily, he agreed without hesitation. But anyway, he left after your operation."

"Why?"

"…Why what?"

"You hated lying, but you went through such an extent for me."

"It's easier for me to talk to you here than having to visit you in jail," Aoko retorted. And she waited, and waited, for him to correct her words, but all he did was parting his lips and closing them again.

_"Don't let love fool the logic out of you."_

"You're Kaitou Kid," she said eventually.

Kaito grew still, and so did the air in the room.

"If I say I'm not, will you believe me?"

"No."

Kaito afforded a smile, but it represented nothing close to even a speck of happiness at all. For the first time, he allowed himself to look tired, and Aoko wondered how long had he been feeling this way.

"The reveal isn't supposed to be like this." Kaito sighed. "I haven't gotten the time to prepare a script."

"I don't want a script. I want the truth."

Kaito let out a soft laugh.

But his eyes remained sad.

"I'm Kaitou Kid," he said. "And I'm sorry, Aoko, for lying to you all these while."

Aoko expected it, but that didn't make the pain in her chest any lesser than she wished.

The silence that passed felt neither here not there; there was the humming from the heater, the faint shouts from the children playing below, and the fast, beating of her heart echoing loudly in Aoko's ears.

"You didn't lie, not entirely," Aoko whispered. "You kept the promise to keep my dad safe."

"Because it matters more than my life's worth," Kaito said, his eyes turned downcast and he looked _so_ sad _and_ guilty that it made Aoko feel just as horrible. Because? Because all of this was partially her fault. She loved her father, and she loved Kaito too, and yet she had never been honest about the latter part. Even if she didn't lie, she kept her feelings as a secret, and that was just as unfair.

"No it isn't, Bakaito." Aoko balled her hands, feeling the shake that was about to come. "Nothing can be compared to your life's worth. If something— If _anything_ bad happens to you, I'll be just as devastated."

At the thought of Kaito's bloodied stomach… at the sight of Kaito's current state on the hospital bed… she was close to crying again.

"I'm sorry."

Aoko sniffed, looking up. "What are you sorry this time?"

"For making you cry."

Silence.

(The heater hummed.)

(Playful shouts.)

(The cracking sound of her heart.)

"Do you remember that time when you asked if I cared about Kaitou Kid?"

Kaito stared at Aoko, perplexed at her sudden question but nodded to it.

"I did care about Kid," Aoko said, and she reached out for Kaito's hand. "I cared because I kept seeing you in him. And the reason why I went to those heists was because I couldn't stop worrying about you."

Kaito widened his eyes.

"I can't say I forgive you now, but I think I _can_ forgive you, soon, in the time that comes, if you can give me one good reason why you became Kid too."

He stared at her touch, with eyes so soft that Aoko was afraid her hand would turn as warm as how her face was growing to be.

"It's going to be a very long story," Kaito warned.

"I can listen to it all day."

"Ok." He squeezed her hand back and looked at her, his smile was small yet the most genuine Aoko ever seen. "When the time comes and you decide to forgive me, can you tell me too?"

"Why?"

"So I can kiss you."

Aoko rolled her eyes, but she returned a smile even wider.

"Bakaito."

_Love is blind._

_But it's okay to let it fool you sometimes._


End file.
